


Seen Through Each Other's Eyes

by Inkpot



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Angst, Conan's shinigami curse, Everyone Needs A Hug, Gen, I had a great idea for a title but it doesn't fit this story, Introspection, Self-Hatred, maybe Ai, no such thing as too many tags, not even me, only mildly though, seriously guys talk to each other or I'll sic Ai on you, so now I have to write something where it fits aaaa, then nobody will be happy, well there is now, why is there not a tag for that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-25 03:59:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12027651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkpot/pseuds/Inkpot
Summary: It's his fault. He looks over and sees the exhaustion in those eyes, and he knows it's his fault, his failure.





	Seen Through Each Other's Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> The summary is not actually a quote. It's just very appropriate. The title is less appropriate and may change if I can think of something better.  
> Much less angst in this than I'd planned. I'll have to write something more painful soon or I'll end up writing pure fluff. the horror! D: (jk I just suck at writing fluff without getting some plotty angst in there first. yay h/c.)  
> Also, this is more or less the same scene written twice, from two POVs. Kind of an experiment, so let me know what you think!

Conan allows himself a heavy sigh as the murderer is led away. Really, did this have to happen today? Even the Kaitou KID’s luck couldn’t negate his little death curse – and, he thinks with a chagrined glance over his shoulder, that wasn’t meant as a metaphor.

Kaito glances up at the sensation of eyes on him. Something flickers in his expression before he smiles and gives a little wave. Conan nods in return and turns back to help finish with the scene.

This happens every time he goes out. Perfectly ordinary day, hanging out at the mall or eating at a restaurant, when suddenly there’s a scream and whoops, here we go again. And sure, he’s used to it, but he wishes Kaito hadn’t been with him. Not that he minds the support, but the guy doesn't have his tolerance for corpses and murder. Famous thief by night he might be, but in this he was still a civilian.

Once again he curses at the, well, curse that makes him run across cases constantly. Ran eventually got used to it, but he knows the toll it took on her. He can see that same tension in Kaito now. As good as he is at concealing his emotions, he has almost no experience here, and all of it is traumatic.

He wouldn't have any if Conan had his way. This is Kaito, carefree thief and magician extraordinaire. He might be able to cope, but he shouldn't have to. This is Conan’s battlefield.

And he’d pulled Kaito into it.

Kaito has his own problems, he doesn’t need Conan’s on top of those. (Black Org aside – that’s a shared problem and does not count.) But there’s no way they can be friends and spend time together without having someone die near him.

Even so… Conan’s selfish. He can’t bring himself to let go of any of his friends, even if it’s better for them. Staying away would protect Kaito from the trauma that makes up the bulk of Conan’s life, but he’d have to give up his friend first. And he’s self-aware enough to know he won’t do that.

So he wraps up with the police and joins Kaito by the wall, pretending not to notice how tired he looks. “Do you still want to visit the café? I hear they make really good hot chocolate…” He probably won’t want to eat anything, but maybe they could still talk a little longer?

Kaito hesitates, then smiles and nods. “Sure. Coffee and trade?”

“Definitely.” He’s selfish, and he knows it… but he can’t bring himself to stop.

 

Kaito leans against the wall and watches Conan work. That’s his dedicated little detective, always ready to drop everything and investigate a case. He doesn’t even mind. (Not the tunnel-vision bit, anyway. He’s not exactly comfortable with corpses.)

What he does mind is the expression Conan’s wearing when the detective turns to check on him. That sort of tired resignation doesn’t belong on the face of someone his age, even if that age is a decade older than he looks about now.

He pushes his emotions down and manages to smile and wave. Conan nods and returns to the crime scene, looking no less tired than before. Kaito forcefully suppresses his instinct to hug Conan and drag him home for a pillow fort – he wouldn’t appreciate it with a case to finish handling, and that’s not his kind of comfort anyway. He’ll just have to make sure to treat Conan extra well today. After all, it is kind of his fault this happened.

No, he wasn’t involved aside from being on the other side of the store when the screaming started, but they’d both been counting on his luck to cancel out Conan’s (though the detective probably wouldn’t admit it). Therefore, his failure. Maybe it wasn’t the most logical view, but he couldn’t help it. He was supposed to be the Kaitou KID, brilliant thief, and yet he failed to protect the people around him.

No, it wasn’t his responsibility. This wasn’t a heist and he had nothing to do with the murder. It doesn’t make him feel better when someone just died less than a hundred feet from him, especially when it had ruined one of the few breaks Conan could hope to have. ‘Nobody gets hurt’ is a lifestyle to him as much as a code of honor – and he failed to protect Conan from the pain of this damned curse. (Whoops, Nakamori was apparently getting to him again.)

But despite everything, Conan wouldn’t be upset with him. Why would he? The whole deal with luck was more Kaito’s thing, so he was the only one burdened with knowledge of his failure. He had no intention of bringing it up to Conan, of course. He refused to drop anything more on the detective’s conscience like that. He’d just worry, when _Kaito_ is the one who should be worrying about _Conan_.

Fortunately it shouldn’t be too hard to pass off his discomfort as being the product of inexperience with dead bodies. Most people weren’t too happy hanging around a fresh corpse, after all, so Conan would assume anything slipping past his poker face was from that.

Conan finishes whatever he was doing and approaches, looking a little less tired than before. But… also more tired, in some way Kaito can’t place before it vanishes. “Do you still want to visit the café? I hear they make really good hot chocolate…”

Kaito is hesitant, not sure if he’s up for eating something, but he can’t deny the tiny note of hope in Conan’s voice. He smiles and nods. “Sure. Coffee and trade?”

Conan grins, the negative emotions fading from his expression. “Definitely.”

He couldn’t protect Conan from this curse, but he can at least do this much.

**Author's Note:**

> I'd debated having Hakuba or Hattori show up and make everyone feel better, but they started arguing about who would fit the role better and now they won't do the darn scene. Characters, yeesh. :T


End file.
